Loose leaf binder



Dec. 18, 1934. E. 1 KRAG 1,984,376

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Aug. 23, 1930 Patented nee. is, 1934y Erik I...Krag, Chicago, Ill., Aassignor of one-tenth to yE. J. Andrews,l Chicago,Ill. Y

LLApplication August as, 1930,*seria1 No. 477,290v i 13 claims.(ciales-13) This invention relates to loose-leaf binders, and it has forits`object providing improved 'means for opening and closing the binderbacks when it is desired to change the leaves-of the binder.

Vwhich are convenient and eiiectiveand which require a minimum of forceto operate; and also to provide means which can be locked conven-.

:iently in any positionof ,the binder backs.

,i Ofpthe accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional View of thebinderback along the` line 7-7 of Fig. 2, but showing the racks inoutwardpositions, which yembodies features of my invention; Fig. 2 is areduced plan viewof the bottom of the back with the bottom cover and-therackboxes removed; `Fig. 3 shows means -for operating the lmechanism ofthe binder back; Fig. 4 shows a modification of the operating means;Fig. 5is a modification of thebinder back, representedfby atransversesectional view along theline 5-5 of Fig. 6; and Fig.'6 is areduced plan view ofthe ,binder of Fig. 5 Vwith the gear cover removed.

As is Well understood, loose-leaf binders are in 'commonuse .whichconsist'of binder backs having prongs 40 for supporting the loose-leavesby passing through openingsinthe edges of the leaves; sand the leavesmay be removed or other leaves attached byV separating the prongs untilthe ends of the prongs are spaced apart a suf-A ficient distance toremove-the leaves from one set of prongsto the other. k

Loose-leaf binders of lthis nature are often large 'and heavy andmore'or less cumbersome to handle, and it is at times diicult toproperly separate the prong plates as there is Ya tendency for the sidesof thebinders and the loose-leaves vthereof to interfere more or lesswith the proper separating of the plates. -To obviate this,` I haveprovided the improved means illustrated herein, which consists of a rack4l which is fixed with reference to each of the prong plate holders 14.These racks are connected either directly to the plates or tomechanismwhich supports the plates. In this instance, I have shown eachof the racks 41 attached to a plate 14 in which the prong plates' 13 aremounted for' longitudinal movement. .But itis .to be understood that myinvention is not limited'to binders'in which thel prong .plates arelongitudin'aatlly movable.

The racks areslidably mounted in the frame or casing 12 andl'areoperated by means of pinions 44.r` Obviously, 'as these pinions arerotated, the racks will be moved transversely, either in- Particularobjects of the invention arey providing means for operating the binderbacksy Wardly or outwardly, carrying with them the prong plates to whichthe racks are directly, or indirectly connected. y

In this'instance, the prong plates 13 areslidably mountedllongitudinally in the guide plates 14, so that the prongsin onel platemay be moved lwith reference to the prongs in the other plate,

as is common, in order to shift the leaves from one position in thebinder to another position,

by shifting from rone set of prongs to another set.

l The curvedjprongsAO are operated by curved racks 41, the racks beingguided in curved boxes '42., I prefer, in this instance, to `have threepairs yof pinion`s-44 with the pinions near the ends ofA the shafts 43operating the racks but being spaced apart so as not to mesh with eachother.

YThe shafts are'operatively connected, by means of theinner pinions 44,one fixed to each shaft,

and the pinions'meshing with each other.

' Also, in 'this instance, I prefer to have yielding meansvtendingto'keep thebinder closed, as

the weight of the paperand backs tend to vforce the binder open.'v Theyielding means whichy I prefer comprises a spring 45 lmounted on one` ofthe shafts and with one end fixed to the casing,

in any sutable manner, and the other endk fixed vtothe shaft. The springis so set that it has a -tendency at all times 'to force the binder toits closed position. *f n y Also, with thistype of binder, I prefer tohave ra form of operating `handle which comprises "an arm 50 xed'tooneof the shafts 43 and coacting With` the toothed segment 51, by means Aofa slidablymounted iinger'52.y The segment is fixed to the casing of thebinder back. VA spring 53 at all times forces the finger into coactionwith the teeth and, as a consequence, themech- -anism tends to hold thebinder sides in any position. -The handle 54 isused for operating thearm 50 and for forcing the finger out of coaction vWith the teeth vWhenit is desired to operate the mechanism.

A modification kof the operating handle comfprises 'an arm 55` inWhichis slidablymounted c a handle 56 to Whichis connected, by anysuitable means, a latch 57 adapted to coact with a ratchet 58 fixed tothe casing. A compression spring 59 at all times forces the latch intocoaction Vwith* the ratchet teeth, and the handle 56, being jslidablymounted inthe arm, is adapted to force the latch away from coaction withthe teeth.

This latter type of operating handle is desirable fcr use with thecurved prong ,binder of `r`Fig. `"1,` with for Without the spring 45,butk it is AI'Jarticularly applicable when the spring is omitted,

as it at all times holds the binder from opening further when the handleis released, and firmly locks the binder in its closed position.

A stop 26 is xed to the frame which limits the opening of the binder bycoacting with the arm 50 as it is operated to open the binder.

A modification of the binder back is illustrated in Fig. 5, which issomewhat similar to the binder back of Fig. l, except that it has thearch prongs 65 fixed to horizontal plates 66, which are slidably mountedon plates 67. The plates 67 are xed to the ends 68 of rack bars 69.These rack bar ends are mounted beneath the plates 66 and 67 asindicated and above A.the-,plate :70, to which is attached the back 71of the binder. The racks are operated bymeans of pinions 72 which arearranged preferably similar to the arrangement of Fig. 2. The racks aremounted in boxes 73, so that the racks are suitably supported as theyare being operated, and the boxes, yas Well as the gears and shafts, aremounted in aa casing 74, which extends from one end ofthe binder back tothe other, and is fixed to the plate 70 at the ends of the casing andplate.

In this `embodiment of the invention, the gear operating mechanism issimilar to that of the `other embodiment, but it is inverted so that thegear wheels are over the racks instead of under them, and are above theplane of the prong rplates 66 instead of beneath the plane. The op-{erating handle which I prefer for this modification is similar to thatof Fig. 2, but it is to bey understood that the type ofy handle shown inFig. 4 may be used for operating this or the other form of the binder.

I claim as my invention:

l. A loose-leaf binder comprising a casing, means on each side of saidcasing for holding loose-leaf prongs, means for varying the disytancebetween said holding means, said varying vmeans comprising a pairofshafts rotatably and ylongitudinally mounted in said casing, a gear rackfixed to each of said holding means, pinions fixed. to said shafts andmeshing respectively with said racks, means for rotating one of saidshafts, operative means connecting said two shafts, said rotating meanscomprising an arm fixed tosaid shaft, a stop `fixed to ,said` casing,and' means on said arm adapted to coact with said stop Iwhen saidholding means are in their open positions.

` 2. A loose-leaf binder k,comprising a casing, means on each side ofsaid casing for holding loose-leaf prongs, means for varying thedistance between said. holding means, saidk varying means comprising apair of shafts rotatably and longitudinally mounted in said casing, agear rack iixedto each of said holding means, pinions fixedl to saidshafts and meshing respectively withY said racks, means for rotating oneof said shafts, operative means connecting said two shafts, andresilient means fixed to one of said `shafts tending to rotate it in onedirection.

3. A loose-leaf binder as claimed in claim 2, in which said rotatingmeans comprises anV arm fixed to said shaft, and including means forholding said arm in any adjusted position of said shaft.

4. A loose-leaf binder as claimed in claim 2, including means forholding said rotating means in the closed position of said loose-leafholding means.

5. A loose-leaf ybinder .comprising a casing, means on each side of saidcasing for holding loose-leaf prongs, means for varying the distancebetween said holding means, said varying means comprising a pair ofshafts rotatably and longitudinally mounted in said casing, a gear rackfixed to each of said holding means, pinions fixed to said shafts andmeshing respectively with said racks, means for rotating one of saidshafts, operative means connecting said two shafts, said rotating meanscomprising an arm fixed .to said shaft, and means for holding said armin any adjusted position of said shaft.

6. A loose-leaf binder comprising a casing,

means on each side of said casing for holding loose leaves, means forvarying the distance between' said holding means, said varying meanscomprising a shaft rotatably and longitudinally mounted in' s'aidcasing, a gear rack fixed to one of said'holding means, a pinion fixedto said shaft and meshing vwith said rack, means for rotating saidshaft, rand resilient means fixed to said shaft tending to rotate it inone direction.

7. A :loose-leaf ,binder as claimed n claim 6, including means forholding said rotatingmeans in the closed position of lsaid loose-leaf.holding means.

8. A loose-leaf binder' comprising a casing, vmeans .von each side ,ofsaid casing .for fholding loose-leaf prongs, vmeans for varying thevdistance between said holding means, said varying means v,comprising agear rack xed with yreference to one `of said holding means, a pinionmounted Ain said casing and meshing with said rack, means for Arotatingsaid pinion, said rack .being curved, `and. curved `prongs mounted onsaid holding means', and resilient means fixed to said shaft tending to'rotate it in one direction.

9. A loose-leaf binder comprising a frame, spaced smeans mounted lonsaid lframe for hold- .ing -looseleafpron'gs,` means for varying thedistance between said spaced means, said varying means comprising ashaft rotatably mounted in said frame, means operatively connecting saidshaft with one of said spaced holding means, means for rotating saidshaft, said rotating means comprising an arm xed to the shaft, and meansfor `holding Vsaid larm in adjusted positions, said latter meanscomprising a toothed segment xed to the frame and `a pawl movablymounted on the arm arranged to coact with the segment.

10. A loose-leaf binder comprising a casing, means on each side of saidcasing for holding loose-leaf prongs, means for varying the distancebetween said holding means, said varying means .comprising la pair` ofshafts rotatably and longitudinally mounted in said casing,l a gear rackxed to each of said holding means, pinions xed to said shaftsandmeshingrespectively with `saidracks,` means for rotating one of saidshafts, and operative means connecting said two shafts, said shaftsbeing mounted above the plane in which said holding means lie.

11. A kloose--leaf binder `comprising a casing, means including guideplates oneach side of said casing` for holdingloose-leaf prongs, meansfor Varying the distance between said holding means, said varyingmeanscomprising-a pair of shafts rotatably and longitudinally' mounted `insaid .casing, gear racks eachi'lxed-.at ,one end to a respective guideplate, pinions fixed to said shafts and-meshing respectively with saidracks, means for rotating one .of said shafts, operative meansconnecting said' two shafts, saidI shafts being mounted above the planein which said guide plates lie, horizontal prong plates slidably mountedon said guide platesand arched prongs fixed to said prong plates andprojecting upwardly and inwardly.

12. A loose-leaf binder comprising a casing, means on each side of saidcasing for holding loose-leaf prongs, means for varying the distancebetween said holding means, said varying means comprising a shaftrotatably mounted in said casing, a gear rack fixed to one of saidholding means, a pinion fixed to said shaft Yand meshing with said rack,means for rotating said shaft comprising an arm fixed to said shaft, astop fixed to said casing, and means on said arm adapted to coact withsaid stop when said holding means are in their open positions.

13. A loose leaf binder comprising a casing, means on each sideof thecasing for holding loose leaf prongs, means for varying the distancebetween said holding means, said varying means comprising a shaftrotatably and longitudinally mounted in said casing, a gear rack fixedto one of said holding means, a pinion fixed to said shaft and meshingwith the rack, and means for rotating the shaft, said shaft beingmounted above the plane in which said holding means lie.

- ERIK L. KRAG.

